Do you feel like there’s something essential that’s being missed in your data and reporting projects? Does it seem like you’re always stuck spinning your wheels, or that you end up focused on details and missing the big picture?
As a leader, how can you help your organization move beyond using data for operations, productivity, and finance projects, and start using data to fuel transformational change?
This webinar discussed the stages of development that organizations experience on the way to data-informed decision-making, and how to help your team overcome the obstacles at each crossroads. Improving your effectiveness with operational data is important, and it’s easy to get stuck responding to every new external reporting requirement and never get around to looking at data that really matters.
We also know that an organization can be really good at operational, financial, and compliance data and still miss the big picture. Data processes that are well-designed to deliver required reports or monitor productivity aren’t going to naturally yield transformational data.
Data that will drive systemic change, requires something different, including:
- Bold prioritization, time that is set aside for deep thinking, and being clear about what isn’t going to get done.
- Extending your trauma-informed lens to your data analysis conversations, in how you talk about data and how you roll out changes.
- Recognizing emotions around imperfection, noticing and managing cognitive dissonance, and dealing with avoidance.
- Bringing stakeholders to the table with opportunities for meaningful input and creativity, especially people who don’t think of themselves as ‘data people’.
Resources Mentioned
- Mission Driven Data and free online community
- Cal Newport’s website (author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World)
- Dr. Sidney Stone Brown’s website
Presenter Information
Ginger Bandeen, LCSW
Ginger founded Mission Driven Data after a 15-year career in clinical social work, quality improvement, advocacy, and program development in the community behavioral health field. Ginger is passionate about making data analysis accessible for clinicians – helping people who would say they aren’t “data people” discover joy and excitement in the data analysis process.
Ginger is committed to combining her understanding of data with her clinical perspective to optimize data and information systems in community agencies, with the end goal of supporting better outcomes and system transformation.
